1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to travel alarms and, more particularly, to a novel and highly effective travel alarm that can be used in the dark, has a long-lasting battery, is small yet easy to read, and has an important auxiliary use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Travel alarms are a useful backup for guests at hotels and motels. Such establishments usually offer a wake-up service, but the service sometimes fails. Private homes, campsites, and cruise ships may not offer a wake-up service. Moreover, a time reminder in a hotel lobby, at an airport, train station, etc., may be unavailable. A travel alarm can be used in such cases as a reminder of an appointment, of a task that needs to be accomplished, of a train or plane to board, etc. Many travelers therefore regard travel alarms as indispensable.
However, conventional travel alarms have some serious drawbacks. Those that do not have an illuminated face cannot be easily used in the dark. If a person traveling with such an alarm wishes to check the time in a darkened room in the middle of night, it is first necessary to turn on a light, which can cause eye discomfort and disturb anyone else who happens to be in the room.
On the other hand, if the face is illuminated, this constitutes a serious drain on the clock battery, especially if the clock light is accidentally turned on while the clock is, say, packed in a suitcase. If the timekeeping mechanism of the clock is powered by the same battery, there is a risk of battery failure rendering the clock useless until the battery can be replaced or recharged.
A travel alarm should be physically small and weigh little for easy packing. However, a small clock face can be difficult to read.
Another problem with conventional travel alarm clocks is that they serve no purpose other than telling the time and sounding an alarm at a set time. Other functions that a traveler may desire necessitate the carrying of other items. This makes packing more difficult and increases the probability that a needed item will be left at home or, worse, in a hotel when the traveler moves on.
An object of the invention is to remedy the problems of conventional travel alarm clocks noted above and, in particular, to provide a travel alarm clock that can be used in the dark, that has a long-lasting battery, that is small yet easy to read, and that has an important auxiliary use.
The foregoing and other objects are attained in accordance with the invention by providing a clock having a face, a light for illuminating the face, a switch for controlling the light, and means preventing the switch from turning the light on when the clock is stored and enabling the switch to turn the light on when the clock is deployed.
In accordance with an independent aspect of the invention, there is provided a clock comprising a face, a magnifying lens that can overlie the face so that the lens magnifies the face or can be displaced relative to the face so that it can magnify another object, and a light fixed relative to the lens for illuminating the lens. A switch controls the light, and a cover covers the lens and face when the clock is stored and uncovers at least the face when the clock is deployed. A shaft is fixed relative to the cover and can pivot about an axis relative to the face and lens to displace the cover from the face. A first pair of contacts is fixed relative to the cover, and a second pair of contacts is fixed relative to the lens. The contacts are sufficiently aligned to enable the switch to turn the light on only when the cover and lens are sufficiently displaced relative to each other.
In accordance with another independent aspect of the invention, there is a provided a clock comprising a face and a magnifying lens and being capable of assuming a storage configuration and at least one deployment configuration. The lens and face are adjacent to each other in the storage configuration and spaced apart from each other in the deployment configuration. In the storage configuration, the overall dimensions of the clock are minimized. In the deployment configuration, the lens is optimally positioned to magnify the face or can be used to magnify another object.